Mayonnaise That's Soy, Dairy, & Gluten Free ~Just Mayo~

I must share our new favorite condiment!  It’s so yummy and tastes great!...really it does ;o)  I have been using this is macaroni and potato salads all summer. You can make creamy salad dressings with it or just use it as sandwich spread. I bought mine at Target but some Costco’s have it as well as Whole Foods. It can also be bought online at Amazon. I paid about $5.

Just Mayo is made by Hampton Creek: http://www.hamptoncreek.com/just-mayo

 

Ingredients

Non-GMO Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Lemon Juice, White Vinegar, 2% or Less of the Following: Organic Sugar, Salt, Apple Cider Vinegar, Pea Protein, Spices, Garlic, Modified Food Starch, Beta-Carotene, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Preserve Freshness).

I'm making deviled eggs today! My son is so excited because we haven't had them in years!

For 64 Percent of Kids with ADHD, Food is the Cause

It's scary to think that over 5 million children in this country are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and of those children, 3 million are medicated each year. ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination. It's the most commonly diagnosed disease among kids, in fact between 3 and 5 percent of kids are said to have it.

Many parents are hesitant to medicate their children because the side effects of medications like Ritalin can be quite drastic. From a lack of appetite to the inability to sleep, and in some cases, depression, the downside is real. The idea of having such a huge population of young children medicated like never before in any society in itself seems downright frightening. And a new study published in the Lancet and reported on Civil Eats, sheds some light on what many of us have been thinking for a while. It's the medication that we take three times a day that can really make a difference and that medication is our diet.

The study's lead author Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands said this to NPR:

"Food is the main cause of ADHD." The study found that in 64 percent of children with ADHD, the symptoms were caused by food. "It's a hypersensitivity reaction to food."

This is good news for parents, especially when you hear the long term impact that Ritalin can have on some kids. Civil Eat's Kristin Wartman, pointed to one study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2007 that said "[a]fter three years on Ritalin, children were about an inch shorter and 4.4 pounds lighter than their peers."

Kids are showing both a sensitivity to foods themselves and food additives. The Feingold Diet proposed in the 1970s outlined particular foods to cut from a child's diet like artificial coloring, artificial flavors, added preservatives, Salicylates (a pesticide added to some food plants), and other food additives like sulfites, artificial sweeteners, MSG, and others. This really just points to a diet free of processed foods and rich in organic plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans.

Caffeine and processed sugar have also been known to be culprits. Flaxseed oil, on the other hand, has shown signs of correcting some of the negative behaviors associated with ADHD, just by mixing it with some of your kid's favorite foods. This is because omega 3 fatty acids are critical to healthy brain development as shown in this study on ADHD and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

by Sara Novak

Protein Mix That's Gluten, Dairy, & Soy Free! ~Life's Basics Plant Protein~

It’s so hard to find a protein mix that is gluten, dairy, and soy free so I wanted to share this with all of you. I really like this product because of the OMEGA 3-6-9 fatty acids and all the amino acids. I feel ADHD children really need a little extra of these supplements. It's very filling and gives you extra energy.

I paid $19.00 each.

We really like the chocolate. I recommend mixing in a blender with some crushed ice. You can add whatever you like: fruit, honey, cinnamon, almond butter, coconut oil, etc...

We've mixed it with water, coconut and almond milk...whatever we have on hand.

The taste is good, especially if you doctor it up ...

I've heard that some people bake with it or add it to their oatmeal...I might have to try that.

Lifes Basics Plant Protein Chocolate from Lifetime Vitamins 

Life's Basics® Plant Protein provides a complete range of amino acids (complete protein) by combining pea protein isolates, organic Manitoba Harvest™ hemp protein powder, concentrated rice protein and chia seed powder. This unique vegan combination is rich in energy super food sources of amino acids, essential fatty acids, and fiber. Life's Basics® Plant Protein is great as an energy boosting protein source for everyday use.

LifeTime® Life's Basics® Plant Protein:

• Provides complete protein from yellow pea protein isolates, hemp, rice, and chia

• Is rich in EFA's, amino acids and fiber

• Can be utilized as a high performance vegetarian superfood protein powder

• Is a low Glycemic index product and is suitable for diabetics 

Lifes Basics Plant Protein Chocolate    

Supplement Facts: Serving Size: 39.5 (1 scoop)     Servings Per Container: 15
	Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value
Calories	134
Calories from Fat	13
Total Fat	2 g	3%
Saturated Fat	0.2 g	1%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Sodium	67 mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate	8 g	3%
Dietary Fiber	3 g	12%
Sugars	5 g
Protein	22 g	44%
Iron (naturally occurring from protein matrix)	1 mg	7%
Phosphorus (naturally occurring from protein matrix)	109 mg	1%
Chia Seed Powder	1 g	‡
Omega 3	200 mg	‡
Omega 6	550 mg	‡
Omega 9	150 mg	‡

*U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance not established for adults.

Other Ingredients:

Life's Basic Proprietary Plant Protein Blend (Pea Protein Isolate, Manitoba Harvest™ Hemp Protein Powder & Rice Protein Concentrate), Fructose, Dutch & American Cocoa, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Xylitol, Chiamax™, Stevia & Sea Salt. 

Free of:

Yeast, corn, soy, gluten, wheat, milk, egg, whey or any artificial ingredients or preservatives. No Hydrolysis used. 

Directions:

Mix one heaping scoop in water or your favorite beverage, once or twice daily to create a delicious protein shake.

Honey Garlic Chicken ~Slow Cooker~

Ingredients

4 or so boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs

1/2 cup coconut aminos

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup honey

1 tea dried basil

3 cloves of garlic minced

Instructions

Whisk together the garlic, basil, coconut aminos, ketchup, and honey.

Add the chicken to the slower cooker /crockpot.

Pour the sauce over and mix everything together.

Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. 

If you are short on time you can cook it on high.

Are Probiotics the New Prozac? Probiotics & ADHD

As you know I feel there is an relationship between leaky gut and food sensitivities, and ADHD...read my post here ADHD and Leaky Gut. Below is an article about how your gut helps with brain function. Basically is comes back to DIET!!

By Dr. Mercola

While many think of their brain as the organ in charge of their mental health, your gut may actually play a far more significant role.

The big picture many of us understand is one of a microbial world that we just happen to be living in. Our actions interfere with these microbes, and they in turn respond having more effects to our individual health as well as the entire environment.

There is some truth to the old expression, having 'dirt for brains'.  The microbes in our soil, on our plants, in our stomachs are all a result of our actions.  Antibiotics, herbicides, vaccines, and pesticides, and the tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals we've created all have impacts and result in reactions from these microbes.

Probiotics Alter Brain Function, Study Finds

• The treatment group ate yogurt containing several probiotics thought to have a beneficial impact on intestinal health, twice a day for one month

• Another group ate a "sham" product that looked and tasted like the yogurt but contained no probiotics

• Control group ate no product at all

• The insular cortex (insula), which plays a role in functions typically linked to emotion (including perception, motor control, self-awareness, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal experience) and the regulation of your body's homeostasis, and

• The somatosensory cortex, which plays a role in your body's ability to interpret a wide variety of sensations

Yes, Your Diet Affects Your Mood and Mental Health
Previous studies have confirmed that what you eat can alter the composition of your gut flora. Specifically, eating a high-vegetable, fiber-based diet produces a profoundly different composition of microbiota than a more typical Western diet high in carbs and processed fats. 
The featured research tells us that the composition of your gut flora not only affects your physical health, but also has a significant impact on your brain function and mental state. Previous research has also shown that certain probiotics can help alleviate anxiety:

• The Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility5 reported the probiotic known as Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 normalized anxiety-like behavior in mice with infectious colitis by modulating the vagal pathways within the gut-brain.

• Other research6 found that the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus had a marked effect on GABA levels—an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is significantly involved in regulating many physiological and psychological processes—in certain brain regions and lowered the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior. It is likely other lactobacillus species also provide this benefit, but this was the only one that was tested.

Your Gut Bacteria Are Vulnerable to Your Diet and Lifestyle

• First, they are typically loaded with sugar, and avoiding sugar (particularly fructose) is in my view, based on the evidence, a critical aspect of preventing and/or treating depression. Not only will sugar compromise your beneficial gut bacteria by providing the preferred fuel for pathogenic bacteria, it also contributes to chronic inflammation throughout your body, including your brain.

• Many contain artificial sweeteners and other synthetic additives that can wreak havoc with brain health. In fact, depression and panic attacks are two of the reported side effects of aspartame. Preliminary findings presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology also report that drinking sweetened beverages―whether they're sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners—is associated with an increased risk of depression.7

• Processed foods are also typically loaded with refined grains, which turn into sugar in your body. Wheat in particular has also been implicated in psychiatric problems, from depression to schizophrenia, due to Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA), which has neurotoxic activity.

• The majority of processed foods also contain genetically engineered (GE) ingredients (primarily corn and soy), which have been shown to be particularly detrimental to beneficial bacteria. There are several mechanisms of harm at work here. For example:

• Eating genetically engineered Bt corn may turn your intestinal flora into a sort of "living pesticide factory," essentially manufacturing Bt-toxinfrom within your digestive system on a continuing basis

• Beneficial gut bacteria are very sensitive to residual glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup). Due to mounting resistance, GE Roundup Ready crops are being drenched with increasing amounts of this toxic herbicide. Studies have already confirmed that glyphosate alters and destroys beneficial gut flora in animals, as evidenced by the increasing instances of lethal botulism in cattle

• Recent research also reveals that your gut bacteria are a key component of glyphosate's mechanism of harm, as your gut microbes have the identical pathway used by glyphosate to kill weeds!

Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary (and when you do, make sure to reseed your gut with fermented foods and/or a probiotics supplement)	Conventionally-raised meats and other animal products, as CAFO animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plusgenetically engineered grains, which have also been implicated in the destruction of gut flora
Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water	Antibacterial soap

How to Reseed Your Gut Flora

• Radically reduce your sugar intake. I'm being repetitive here, to drive home the point that you can take the best fermented foods and/or probiotic supplements, but if you fail to reduce your sugar intake you will sabotage your efforts to rebuild your gut flora. This would be similar to driving your car with one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake simultaneously. Simply not a good strategy at all. When you consume sugar at the level of the typical American you are virtually guaranteed to have a preponderance of pathogenic bacteria, yeast and fungi, no matter what supplements you are taking.

• Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods: Fermented foods are the best route to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods are also excellent chelators of heavy metals and pesticides, which will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. Healthy choices include:

• Fermented vegetables

• Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)

• Fermented milk, such as kefir

• Natto (fermented soy)

• Take a high-quality probiotic supplement. Although I'm not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics are an exception if you don't eat fermented foods on a regular basis.

Nurture Your Gut for Optimal Health and Mental Well-Being

Mounting research indicates that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, leading to issues like anxiety and depression.

The gut-brain connection is well-recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, so this isn't all that surprising, even though it's often overlooked. There's also a wealth of evidence showing intestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases.

With this in mind, it should also be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important, because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment. A recent article1 titled "Are Probiotics the New Prozac?" reviews some of the most recent supporting evidence.

The featured proof-of-concept study, conducted by researchers at UCLA, found that probiotics (beneficial bacteria) actually altered participants' brain function. The study2 enlisted 36 women between the ages of 18 and 55 who were divided into three groups:

Before and after the four-week study, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, both while in a state of rest, and in response to an "emotion-recognition task."

For the latter, the women were shown a series of pictures of people with angry or frightened faces, which they had to match to other faces showing the same emotions.

"This task, designed to measure the engagement of affective and cognitive brain regions in response to a visual stimulus, was chosen because previous research in animals had linked changes in gut flora to changes in affective behaviors," the researchers explained.

Compared to the controls, the women who consumed probiotic yogurt had decreased activity in two brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation:

During the resting brain scan, the treatment group also showed greater connectivity between a region known as the 'periaqueductal grey' and areas of the prefrontal cortex associated with cognition. In contrast, the control group showed greater connectivity of the periaqueductal grey to emotion- and sensation-related regions.

The fact that this study showed any improvement at all is remarkable, considering they used commercial yogurt preparations that are notoriously unhealthy; loaded with artificial sweeteners, colors, flavorings, and sugar. Most importantly, the vast majority of commercial yogurts have clinically insignificant levels of beneficial bacteria. Clearly, you would be far better off making your own yogurt from raw milk—especially if you're seeking to address depression through dietary interventions.

According to lead author Dr. Kirsten Tillisch:3, 4

"Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street... 'When we consider the implications of this work, the old sayings 'you are what you eat' and 'gut feelings' take on new meaning.'"

The implications are particularly significant in our current era of rampant depression and emotional "malaise." And as stated in the featured article, the drug treatments available today are no better than they were 50 years ago. Clearly, we need a new approach, and diet is an obvious place to start.

It's important to realize that you have neurons both in your brain and your gut -- including neurons that produce neurotransmitters like serotonin. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain! Perhaps this is one reason why antidepressants, which raise serotonin levels in your brain, are often ineffective in treating depression, whereas proper dietary changes often help...

Processed, refined foods in general will destroy healthy microflora and feed bad bacteria and yeast, so limiting or eliminating these from your diet should be at the top of your list. Following my recently revised nutrition plan is a simple way to automatically reduce your intake of sugar from all sources. Processed foods wreak havoc on your gut in a number of different ways:

Your gut bacteria are also very sensitive to and can be harmed by:

Considering the fact that an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, reseeding your gut with healthy bacteria is important for the prevention of virtually ALL disease, both physical and mental. The first step is to clean up your diet and lifestyle by avoiding the items listed above. Then, to actively reseed your gut with beneficial bacteria, you'll want to:

Ideally, you want to eat a variety of fermented foods to maximize the variety of bacteria you're consuming. Fermented vegetables, which are one of my new passions, are an excellent way to supply beneficial bacteria back into our gut. And, unlike some other fermented foods, they tend to be palatable, if not downright delicious, to most people.
As an added bonus, they can also be a great source of vitamin K2 if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture. We tested samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture, and a typical serving (about two to three ounces) contained not only 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, it also had 500 mcg of vitamin K2, which we now know is a vital co-nutrient to both vitamin D and calcium. Most high-quality probiotics supplements will only supply you with a fraction of the beneficial bacteria found in such homemade fermented veggies, so it's your most economical route to optimal gut health as well.

Foods have an immense impact on your body and your brain, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan is the best way to support your mental and physical health.

Mounting research indicates the bacterial colonies residing in your gut may in fact play key roles in the development of brain, behavioral and emotional problems—from depression to ADHD, autism and more serious mental illness like schizophrenia. Certainly, when you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's easy to see how the balance of gut bacteria can play a significant role in your psychology and behavior.

With this in mind, it should also be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important, from cradle to grave, because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.

Cultured foods like raw milk yogurt and kefir, some cheeses, and fermented vegetables are good sources of natural, healthy bacteria. So my strong recommendation would be to make cultured or fermented foods a regular part of your diet; this can be your primary strategy to optimize your body's good bacteria.

If you do not eat fermented foods on a regular basis, taking a high-quality probiotic supplement is definitely recommended. A probiotic supplement can be incredibly useful to help maintain a well-functioning digestive system when you stray from your healthy diet and consume excess grains or sugar, or if you have to take antibiotics.

Team Sports vs Individual Sports for an ADHD Child

For my son team sports wasn't a good fit. He played baseball and basketball for two years and football for one year and it just didn't work. He’d get so overwhelmed. Grant it this was before he became gluten, dairy, & soy free… perhaps if he would have tried them after his diet change things would have been better.

I have found the individual sports are much better for an ADHD child. Personally I feel the reason an individual sport is a better fit for a child with ADHD is they get to make almost all the decisions, which they love. There isn't as much risk of getting overwhelmed by teammates, other players, and coaches.

My son decided to take up karate. He’s now been it for many years and it’s been so beneficial for him. The main things it has taught him is control, focus, and respect. Three things an ADHD child really needs to master!

Karate emphasize self-control, including self-discipline and respect for yourself and others. Focus and concentration are need to remember the moves and to spare with others. These things really challenge an ADHD child.

Now don’t just sign-up your child for just any karate class. Please do your homework and make sure it’s a good school. It took us two different dojos to find a karate class that wasn’t just a bunch of kids goofing off…we were looking for serious martial art teachers that “REALLY WANTED” the kids to learn karate. We also asked the Sensei if we could move our son to an adult class (he was 13 when he joined) because we thought the adult students wouldn’t “goof off” as much as the younger class. The Sensei agreed and my son thrived with the adults.

So when you’re considering sports for your ADHD child don’t forget to look into individual sports too.

Here are some other individual sports you might want to check into: archery, cross country, golf, wrestling, chess (my son will play chess with anyone and anywhere—he loves it that much), cycling, horse riding…

Apricot Chicken Recipe ~Gluten & Soy Free~

I thought I'd share with you one of our favorite recipes using the the onion soup mix I mentioned in the post below. You can use any type of chicken--I usually use breasts. Use the smallest and shallowest dish you can so the chicken really "sits" in the sauce. You can serve this with rice or a baked potato.
Sorry I have no "after" photo...my family ate it before I could get a pic.

 

Ingredients

4 or 5 large boneless/skinless chicken breast
1/2 of a packet of onion soup/dip mix

1/2 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 tea vinegar

1 tea honey

A dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the chicken pieces in a casserole dish. Mix everything together and pour over the chicken.

Bake for 35-45 min--just until chicken is done.